Talking to the Shadows
by The Pendragon Scribe
Summary: As Ash's ultimate goals inflicted his ego, he will now face the ultimate consequences from his mistakes, and encounter an unexpected happening. READ PLEASE. An ultimate piece of enlightenment.


**A/N: This is my first fanfiction in history, and I hope all Pokémon fans will appreciate this literary piece. Please give comments that don't discourage but spark an improvement on my writing.**

"VOLT TACKLE!" Ash screams to Pikachu with rage, as he battles against a trainer's Tirtouga.

Pikachu does so, but misses after Tirtouga dodged it.

Flynn, the trainer, then proclaims, "Ash, you're very easy to lure unto."

Ash returns his statement, saying, "You don't know the half of me. We'll crumble you to pieces."

Flynn replied, "We'll just see about that." He then commands, "Tirtouga, HEAD SMASH!"

Tirtouga then uses Head Smash to Pikachu, resulting to a critical hit to Pikachu.

"PIKACHU!" Ash is shocked at that move.

"What was Ash thinking?" Cilan comments, "Didn't he know that Tirtouga is also a Rock-Type?"

"Yeah, I know…" Iris adds, "Ash is so focused on taking advantage over the Water background of Tirtouga, that he somewhat missed one point that Tirtouga is a Turtle Pokémon."

"Now Tirtouga, Smack Down." Flynn commands Tirtouga with an excited tone.

Ash then commands, "Pikachu, jump over Tirtouga. And use Electro Ball!"

Pikachu's Electro Ball efficiently hits Tirtouga. Because of this, Ash finally regains his hope and rejoices, while Flynn gets frustrated a bit. Cilan and Iris are pleased by this.

"Alright now Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash commands Pikachu once again.

Pikachu's Iron Tail hits Tirtouga again. Ash, Cilan and Iris rejoice.

Cilan then suggests to Ash, "Hey Ash, use Iron Tail once again, to finish this." Iris agrees, stating "Yeah Ash. That will bring him down."

Ash replies to them in disbelief, "Maybe I will." Then says, "Alright Pikachu, let's end this the usual. Thunderbolt attack!"

Pikachu finally sets its Thunderbolt Attack to Tirtouga, but suddenly, Tirtouga withdraws.

Flynn then commands Tirtouga, "ROCK SMASH TIRTOUGA!", another critical hit for Pikachu.

"PIKACHU!" Ash was shaken by this.

Hesitant, Cilan and Iris decide to help Ash. Cilan then suggests, "Make Pikachu sprint swiftly to him."

Ash loudly disagrees, saying, "Cilan, tackle attacks won't work now! I've got to use Electric attacks now."

Iris then replies to Ash' next move, "Ash, don't you think it will work? It maybe Pikachu's last stand."

Ash returns Iris' statement with disgrace, "Shut up Iris! I know what I'm doing." This sentiment is in response of Ash' longing battle, that took him three hours of strategy and frustration. Ash feels that outpouring all of his best will make him an instant winner. Due to this, Cilan and Iris, mostly Iris, is in guilt.

Ash then commands Pikachu, "Now Pikachu, Thundershock!"

Pikachu follows, on a weary state, "PIKACHU!".

Flynn then commands Tirtouga, "Rotate towards Pikachu and use RAZOR SHELL!"

As Tirtouga executes Razor Shell, it disrupts the Thundershock attack , and critically hits Pikachu.

For the ultimatum, Flynn proudly articulates, "I never knew that I would easily defeat a shallow master-wannabe, like you."

Ash is instantly hurt by his statement, stating "Hey! Watch your mouth! Take back what you said."

Ignoring his softy threatening, Flynn then commands, "Now Tirtouga, ROCK BLAST!"

"PIKACHU!" Ash screams in fright.

With that final attack, Pikachu faints. Ash, feeling terrible for what happened, runs towards Pikachu. He feels guilty not deliberately forcing Pikachu to pour out all just to gain victory, but the fact on so much effort he exerted, he lost.

"Pikachu…" Ash calls for Pikachu in a sulky tone. "Why?"

As Flynn calls back Tirtouga to his Pokéball, saying "Good job, Tirtouga. You deserve the best." Flynn walks out of the incoming regret scene, ending with "You know, Ash, you're a good trainer, not a good loudspeaker."

Feeling insulted by his words, Ash grudgingly marches to Flynn, carrying Pikachu at his arms. Cilan and Iris try to stop Ash with calming words. "Ash, don't." Cilan pleads. Iris then added, "Ash, it's not of worth. Stop this right now." Ash, still in his angry mood, attempt to push both Cilan and Iris aside, but the two won't resist. Ash blurted, "Let go of me guys! You can't make me!"

With Flynn having walked out, Ash grudgingly storms out in front of them, putting down Pikachu.

Cilan, surprised by his action, calls out for Ash, "Ash, what the hell are you even trying to do? Where you going?"

Ash, at back face, answers, "I'm out of this business."

Iris then pleads Ash to come back, declaring, "Ash, don't be so overreacting. You can't just take in the loss. Move on."

Ash then stops and blurts out, "That match is what I anticipated the most. I have worked my everything, just to win that battle. And don't even say that I must move on!"

Cilan adds to Iris' statement, "At least you might learn something again from your loss. You can always start from scra…"

Ash angrily interrupts Cilan's statement and says, "I NEVER DID TRAVELED FROM PALLET TOWN ACROSS KANTO, TO JOHTO, TO HOENN, TO SINNOH, and HERE IN UNOVA TO LOSE. I HAVE WORKED ALL MY LIFE JUST FOR THAT MATCH."

"ALL YOUR LIFE?" Iris gets perplexed at his statement, and says, "Ash, at least have some heart on your loss."

"Yeah Ash." Cilan agrees and adds, "Don't make your life-long journey as a reason to suffer from a loss. Think about the things you have treasured. Think about us. Think about Pikachu."

Ash then explains, "Pikachu has done everything he could, ever since I first obtained him. I thought he would do all, ALL his best until now. But he (in a regretful tone), for the first time, in my eyes, failed."

"Ash," Iris tries to calm him down with her words, "Pikachu never failed you, and he never will. " Then Iris changed her tone from an endearing tone to a sincere tone, and stated, "It was you. You failed Pikachu because you failed to realize your limits and Pikachu's limits, even though you have gone this for so long."

"That's right." Cilan again agrees, "You may have learning many things, but you never put them seriously."

Ash points out their downside, saying "Oh please! Don't act like you are even so caring for my situation. You never even helped in the first place."

"Yes we did!" Cilan proclaims solidly, now in an insulted tone. "We tried to help you, recommend you some effective moves, but you took us for granted."

"C'mon!" Ash denies Cilan's assault, "They will never even work. And who are you to tell me that I should follow your tips? I can do better than you."

"That's not true", Cilan continues with his side, "You're just being a total jerk for not agreeing with others."

Iris also comments, "Ash, who do you think we are in your life? Maybe you are not treating us like we are very important for you."

Ash, feeling they are insane, ignores their testaments. "Ugh… Why do I even mind listening to you guys? Why do I even mind listening to all of you guys? I can be independent."

Cilan has calmed down from his insulted mood and reminds to Ash, "We are just helping and reminding you, of the things you need to do, for the greater good."

"Well, you're not. You have put me into shame." Then, Ash, in remorse and anger, walks out from the group, leaving Pikachu behind with them. Cilan and Iris try to call Ash back, but to no avail.

As the day passes, Ash just keeps walking far away from the party until nightfall. Still keeping his grudges over his friends, he attempts to get over it by overdosing himself with grapefruits, melons, apricots beetroots and other exotic fruits, but to no avail. Due to that, he faints on the riverside.

For a short period of time, Ash is awakened by a thunder. Ash, feeling bushed, rises up and thinks of where to proceed in walking. Seeing he is in an unknown location, Ash loudly complains, "AAHHH! Why this does even happened to me! Curse you, Pokémon world!"

Ash' loud grumble goes harmoniously with the ear-piercing thunders. Both of their sounds roar through the whole forest, like a raging roar from a thousand Growlithes. Feeling both guilty and angry at the same time, Ash' stubbornly marches along an uncharted route that is unknown to him. His boiling anger and hard-headedness drive him to nowhere, stopping him by a rocky dead end.

Ash, remorseful than ever, punches the rocky end with his bare fists as a sign of total regret, sorrow and frustration. He then reflects, "Why do I have to always end up in a 'me against the world' situation? What I have done in my life that this happened to me?

Is it that I failed myself?

Is it that I failed to recognize something else?

Is it that I failed to reconnect with something I left behind?

Is it that my overbearing ego overcame my dignity as a person?

Is it that I put myself to concern?

Or is it that I failed to live up my life with everybody who cared for me?"

He then ignored his statements, thinking of it as irrelevant. Still leaning full-bodily on the rocky dead end, Ash suddenly falls from the rocky end as it cracks and breaks off due to Ash's force, making a hole to an underground cave. As Ash falls from the hole, he gives in from the cave's fading, eerie and pale atmosphere. As soon as he lands below, he quickly faints, as if nothing happened.

Minutes have passed, and Ash slowly wakes up, making light from an unknown source to enter his eyes rapidly. As soon as the light approaches to Ash, giving him an awestruck but nervous reaction, it quickly fades in a millisecond. That gives Ash an adrenaline rush as to he is so curious what is happening. Ash then finds himself back, with the emptiness and sulkiness of the cave.

Ash silently sobs and remarks from what happened, "Is this really what is set for my life?"

After moments of sobbing and silence, Ash feels a sudden touch of silk on his arm, then another on his chest, his forehead and finally his mouth. Ash cannot distinguish the source of the touches, for they were too soft and caressing. He plans on talking back to the "thing" touching him, but he can't.

After the touches, Ash then hears a sweet voicing saying in a convincing way, "Ash…"

_**Who/What could be the source of those touches and that voice?**_

**Find out next chapter about Ash' current condition.**


End file.
